Resolute response

The bloody clash on the Line of Actual Control on Monday night should have been averted. The loss of 20 soldiers, including the Commanding Officer of the 16 Bihar Regiment, Col B Santosh Babu, and critical injuries suffered by others have only proven once again that India refuses to learn lessons from its history, when it comes to China. Whoever be at the helm of affairs, India swings from Hindi-Chini bhai-bhai bonhomie to outright hostilities. All the high-profile deliberations and agreements between Prime Minister Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping came to a naught on a steep ridgeline of the Galwan valley in Ladakh where the troops violently tried to dislodge each other. The military and political leaders who sanctioned this patrol during disengagement ought to have factored in all the risks.

Meanwhile, the usually rabid Chinese propaganda newspaper, Global Times — considered to reflect the thinking of the Chinese leadership — has taken a benign, reasonable stand offering peace and goodwill, claiming the nondisclosure of Chinese casualties as proof of restraint. Though Global Times unambiguously attempts to claim military superiority over India and conveys Chinese concerns of Washington offering a ‘lever’ to worsen India-China ties, the tone is uncharacteristically reconciliatory. The mouthpiece says that China ‘does not and will not create conflicts’. This could be deceptive diplomacy at its best. But such deception ought to be responded with a greater degree of cautious cynicism.

Foreign policy and national security are matters of grave import, which ought to be sagaciously handled. Instead, some Indian politicians have a tendency to use border disputes and potential flashpoints as instruments of petty politics against domestic rivals. The PM’s decision to call an all-party meeting is a step in the right direction. His statement on a ‘befitting reply’ to China ought to dispel doubts about India’s indignation. There is no need for bravado in utterances that can affect bilateral relations adversely. India-China relations have always been edgy since India offered asylum to Dalai Lama. China sees India as a threat and has worked overtime to bolster its western front. India should reciprocate by guarding its eastern front, quietly and effectively with resolute response to any act of aggression.